Refrigerated display case



March 24, 1953 A. J. KOPP ET AL .1 2,632,310

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Filed April 10, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 IN V ENTORS i Patented Mar. 24, 1953 2,632,310 REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE AlfredJ. Kopp, Hammond, Ind., and John R.

Boyle, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Betz Corporation, Hammond, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Application April 10, 1948, Serial No. 20,246

13 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerated display cases, particularly ofthe type in which a stream of cool air is circulated through an opencompartment where food is displayed and an enclosed space where the airis refrigerated.

The invention has particular reference to open top display cases adaptedfor use in self-service stores and the like. Such display cases areadvantageous in reducing the spoilage of vegetables, fruits and otherperishable foods while still keeping them conveniently accessible toshoppers and sales persons. However, it has been the experience of storekeepers in the past that open display cases tend to dry the food andthat they require frequent defrosting. This has been due to thecontinual escape of refrigerated air from the enclosure at acomparatively rapid rate, carrying with it the moisture absorbed fromthe food, and the need of maintaining the refrigerating unit at a verylow temperature so that it can effectively cool the relatively largequantity of incoming warm air, which then is considerably dehydrated inthe course of being cooled.

Another objectionable feature has been a tendency toward non-uniformtemperature distribution throughout the length of the case, which couldbe overcome only by making the refrigerating unit of a length comparableto that of the case. a

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improvedrefrigerated display case of the open top variety which eliminates theaforesaid disadvantages.

A further object is to reduce the escape of refrigerated air from thedisplay case.

Another object is to equalize the distribution of cold air throughoutthe length of the display case so that a refrigerating unit preferablyof a standard size can be employed successfully to refrigerate a displaycase of much greater length.

A still further object is to arrange for maximum utilization of thedisplay case by providing a closed food storage space in the lower partof the case.

Still another object is to enable a single refrigerating unit to coolboth enclosures, maintaining different air temperatures therein.

A still further object is to improve the construction and increase theutility of refrigerating units employed in open display cases.

Another object is to provide a unit package capable of easy installationin each section of the currently popular sectional cases, where severalendless sections of case are abutted end to end to compose one long unitmany feet in length. In accordance with one feature of the invention weprovide one or more equalizing or plenum chambers formed by perforatedbaflies or the like for uniformly distributing the cold air which entersthe display compartment of the case.

Another feature is that the cool air enters the open compartment of thedisplay case from the rear side thereof at a level substantially lowerthan the top of the front wall thereof, yet in such a manner as toprovide a blanket of cool air above the food on display.

Still another feature is that the refrigerating unit is arranged todirect a portion of the cold air upwardly into the plenum chambers andanother portion of the air directly into the lower compartment of thecase, maintaining the air in continuous circulation in both chambers.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from a study of the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display case constructed inaccordance with and embodying the principles of the invention, certainportions of the structure being shown broken away for clarity;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section substantially on the line 33in Fig. 2; l Fig. f is a front elevational view of a refrigerating unitemployed in the display case, with certain parts of the structure brokenaway;

Fig. 5 is a view looking from the left substantially on the line 5-5 inFig. 4, showing abracket for holding the refrigerating coils; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, taken on the line6-6 in Fig. 4.

In practicing the invention, we arrange a refrigerating unit in thelower compartment of a display case for discharging refrigerated airunder pressure into a cold air passage extending vertically from thelower compartment to the open top, upper compartment of the displaycase. A portion of the refrigerated air also may be discharged directlyfrom the refrigerating unit into the lower compartment. The cold airpassage extends upwardly adjacent the rear wall of the display case andterminates in spaced relation to the underside of an insulated shelfwhich extends forwardly from the rear wall. Perforated Hbafile membersare arranged between the cold air passage and the shelf to afford aseries of, plenum chambers through which the cold air passes into theupper compartment. The plenum chambers extend substantially the entirelength Ofthe dis.-

play case, whereas the refrigerating unit may be of considerably lesslength than the display case. The pressure of the incoming cold air isequalized throughout the length of the display case in passing throughthese plenum chambers, thereby assuring uniform temperature distributionin the upper compartment. An air exhaust passage extends downwardly fromthe upper compartment adjacent the front wall of the display case,through which air is withdrawn by suction from the upper compartmentinto the lower compartment to be cooled again. The aforesaid shelf onthe rear wall is lower than the top edge of the front wall, and thefinal bafile through which the incoming cold air passes is arranged at aslant so that the air is directed diagonally downward upon the foodstored in the upper compartment. A rail along the upper edge of thefront wall extends rearwardly a sufiicient distance so as to overhangthe exhaust passage, thus tending to prevent the entrance of warm airfrom outside the case into the exhaust passage. The foregoingarrangement enables the air to be circulated practically in a closedcycle through the upper and lower compartments of the display case.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof,the display case has a rear wall It, side walls 12 and id and a frontWall 16, all of these walls being insulated. The base l8 of the caselikewise is insulated. The display case (that is; the upper compartment23 thereof) is open on top. The display case also has a lower closedstorage compartment 22. A horizontal shelf 2 forms a partition betweenthe two compartments. This shelf 25 is spaced from the inside of therear wall If]. and from the inside of the front wall it, and is joinedwith upstanding partitions 2E and 28,, respectively, at the rear andfront of the display compartment 23. The space between the partitions 26and 28 is adapted to hold food such as fruit and vegetables on display.The food may be placed in baskets such as 30 resting on the shelf 2 ormay be supported directly by this shelf, as preferred.

A refrigerating unit 32 is disposed in the lower compartment 22 adjacentthe rear wall iii. This unit 32 is provided at the top with ahorizontally movable slide 29 from which depends a vertical partition 3|to divide the stream of cold air discharged from' the unit. The airwhich passes back of the partition 3| is discharged through an openingin the top of the unit 32 which communicates with an upwardly extendingcold air passage or duct 33 between the rear wall it] and the partition26. Air which passes in front of the partition 31 is discharged throughlouvers 34 which communicate directly with the lower compartment 22-. Bymoving the slide 29, one can adjust the relative amounts of cold airfurnished to the two compartments and thereby control the respectivetemperatures thereof.

The cold air which is discharged from the unit 32 into the cold airpassage 33 passes into the uppercompartment 23 to form a blanket of coldair over the food on display therein. The air then passes into anexhaust duct or passage 35 between the front wall i6 and the partition28. This passage 35 is relatively narrow, and a suction is maintainedtherein by the ai circulating mean of the refrigerating unit 32. Foodmay be stored also in the lower compartment 22, to which access maybe-had through the doors 3B in the front wall It. The lower compartment22 preferably is maintained at a lower temperature than the uppercompartment 2%, typical temperature values. for

vegetables and fruits being from 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit in thecompartment 20 and from 37 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit in the compartment22. Meats and dairy products may require lower tem peratures than thoseindicated,

It is desired that the required low temperature be provided in the uppercompartment with a minimum flow of cool air and also-that the air neednot be of very low temperature. This i important in keeping the size andcost of the refrigerating apparatus as small as possible, toprevent-dehydration of the articles in the case due to circulation of alarge volume of air, and also to prevent icing of the refrigerationcoils which results when the temperature thereof is held very low. Toaccomplish this the escape of cold air from the compartment and theentry of warm air from the room in which the unit is placed must be heldto a minimum. Inorder to provide the required cooling with aminimumamount of air, it is necessary that the cold air entering the uppercompartment 23 shall have a uniform temperature and pressuredistribution through thele ngth, of the compartment. Generally, however,in order to keep the cost down, it is not desirable to make therefrigerating unit 32 as long as the display case. For example, therefrigerating unit32 may be only one-half as long as the display case.In order to obtain the required uniformity, a series. of plenum chambersare arranged at the discharge end of the cold air passage 33 to equalizethe air pressure along the length of the upper compartment 23.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the upper com partment 23 has an insulatedshelf 38 which extends in a generally forward direction from the rearwall I!) and is disposed in vertically spaced relation to the upper endof the partition 26. This shelf 33 serves as a bafiie for the upwardcurrent of cold air coming from the passage 33 and may also be utilizedto support articles which do not require refrigeration. Perforatedbaiile plate 40 and 42, Figs. 2 and 3, which preferably are formed froma single piece of sheet metal 43, extend diagonally upward in adivergent manner from a horizontal lip 44 which projects rearwardly fromthe upper end of the partition 26. The baffle 40 terminates near thejunction of the shelf 33 and rear wall it, and the baffle 42 extendsinto proximity with the lower side of the shelf 38 near the frontedgethereof. An: other perforated baflie 46 extends horizontally from thelip Mto the rear wall 13. The baflies 40, 42 and 46 extend the entirelength of the upper compartment 23 and define plenum chambers in whichthe cold air pressure. is built up slightly above atmospheric. pressure.7

As the cold air is discharged nder pressure from the refrigerating unit32 into the passage 33 it encounters the resistance afforded by the lip34 and the bafiie 43. Thus, air pressure is built up in the passage 33,which itself constitutes a plenum chamber. Hence the air tends todistribute itself with an approximately equal pressure along the lengthof the passage 33. In order that cold air will not pass from the airduct 33 directly into the lower chamber 22.'horizontal partitions E! aredisposed at the lower end of the passage 33 on either side of therefrigerating unit 32, between the horizontal partition 'i i. and therear wall I0. Still further equalizationof cold air pressure takes placein the plenum chamber 48 between the baffles 46 and 4B. The cold airthen passes into, the plenum chamber 50 betw n e baffl s. 40. n 42.. were the ressu equalizing process is completed. The chambers 48 and 50,in addition to equalizing the pressure of the cold air, also reduce thepressure so that the air is not discharged at high velocity. We havefound that satisfactory results can be obtained by making the bafiies ofperforated metal having a 40 per cent open area, this figure being givenas a typical value only. The cold air emerges from the plenum chamber 50in streams which are substantially perpendicular to the baffle plate 42.The plate 42 is so positioned that it directs the air downwardly at anangle toward the rear of the compartment 20. As the cold air spreads, itis drawn toward the suction exhaust passage 35, forming a layer ofslowly moving cold air over the food.

The illustrated display case is designed to pre-' vent the escapeof-excessive amount of refrigerated air from the upper compartment 20.To this end, the upper portion of the front wall l6 includes atransparent section 54 that extends to a height substantially above thelevel at which cold air from the plenum chamber 50 enters the uppercompartment. The section 54 comprises two or more panes of glass, orother transparent material with a dead air space or vacuum sealedtherebetween. A wide horizontal rail 56 along the upper edge of thesection 54 extends rearwardly therefrom in a sufficient amount tooverhang the exhaust passage 35. The arrangement just described has beenfound to be very effective in confining the refrigerated air within thedisplay case and preventing the entrance of large quantities of outsideair into the case. The transparent section 54 in the upper part of thefront wall l6 facilitates viewing the food in the compartment 20. Therail 56 may have a chromium or other attractive finish and is positionedslightly lower than the top edges of the side walls I2 and M. Thedisplay case thus presents a pleasing appearance to the customer.

The refrigerating unit 32, Fig. 4, is contained in a box-like framewhich is open at the rear and on top. The refrigerating means comprisescooling coils 60 which extend the full length of the unit 32 and aresupported at their ends by brackets 52, Figs. 4 and 5, secured to theside walls 64 of the unit 32. Inlets and exhaust connections 66 and 68respectively are provided for circulation of a refrigerant through thecooling coils 60. Pins 69 on the coil 63 facilitate the absorption ofheat. Air circulating fans are mounted on the front wall 72 of therefrigerating unit 32 below the cooling coils 60, apertures beingprovided in the wall 12 for receiving the blades of the fans 18. A pairof fans are used to provide the required volume of circulating air in aunit which is relatively low in height. Brackets 14 attached to the wall72 support the fans 10. Each of the fans F0 is provided with a grille 76to prevent the entrance of objects into the fan. The unit 32 ispositioned against the rear Wall [0 of the case and is secured to thiswall.

The fans Ill draw air from the lower compartment 22, Fig. 2, into therefrigerating unit 32 and propel the air upwardly past the cooling coils60. As mentioned previously, the front wall 12 has louvers 34, which arelocated above the cooling coils B0. The louvers 34 are formed bypunching out openings in the wall 12 and binding the metal back from theopenings to provide vanes for directing the cold air angularly out ofthe refrigerating unit 32 toward the ends of the lower compartment 22.Thus, the vanes 80 on the left-hand side of the unit 32 are slanted todirect the air toward the left end of the compartment 22, while thevanes on the righthand side of the unit 32 direct the air toward theright end of the compartment 22. In this way, an adequate circulation ofcold air in the lower compartment 22 is assured. The slide 29 with itspartition 3| affords an adjustable plenum chamber preceding the louvers34, for dividing the cold air stream as above mentioned.

Display cases in accordance with our invention have been constructed andfound to be highly satisfactory. By reducing the interchange of airbetween the open display compartment and the space outside of the casethe volume of cold air required is also reduced so that therefrigeration equipment and the means for circulating air can be held toa minimum. By providing separate air circulating paths in the upper andlower compartments, the energy required to circulate the air is lessthan would be required when cooling of the two compartments isaccomplished by a single stream of air. It has also been found that therequired temperatures can be maintained in the two compartments when therefrigerant is at a sufficiently high temperature so that icing.

of the coils is not excessive.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that we have provided arefrigerated display case which fulfills the above-stated objects of theinvention. The illustrated structure obviously can be modified to suitindividual requirements without departing from the principles of theinventon, and it is intended that all such modifications shall becovered by the following claims.

We claim: 7

1. In a refrigerated display case of elongated configuration having anopen top upper compartment and an enclosed lower compartment, verticalwalls bounding both said compartments, a refrigerating unit disposed insaid lower compartment adjacent one of the longest of said verticalwalls, means defining a cold air passage extending upwardly of saidrefrigerating unit adjacent said one wall to discharge into said uppercompartment, said refrigerating unit having openings respectivelycommunicating with said air passage and with said lower compartment,means defining an air exhaust passage extending adjacent the oppositewall for conducting air from said upper compartment to said lowercompartment, said exhaust passage having an intake opening extendingsubstantially the entire length of said upper compartment, aircirculating means in said lower compartment for producing a flow of airfrom said exhaust passage through said refrigerating unit and thencethrough the openings in said unit, bafile means arranged in said uppercompartment at the up' per end of said cold air passage to afford aplenum chamber communicating with the cold air passage, and air guidingmeans for directing air from said plenum chamber into said uppercompartment at a level substantially lower than the upper edges of allthe walls bounding said upper compartment.

2. In a refrigerated display case having an open top elongated uppercompartment and an enclosed lower compartment, an imperforate partitionseparating said upper and lower compartments, a refrigerating unitdisposed in said lower compartment, means defining a cold air passageextending upwardly of said refrigerating unit to discharge into saidupper compartment, said re;-

sa aw 7-. frigeratingunit? having. openings; respectively;communicating. with said. passage; and with; saidilower compartment,exhaust passage for conducting air-from said upper compartment. to saidlower compartment, baiilemeans arranged compartment, each tending:substantially: theg entire length of. said; upper compartment,air'circulatin-g means for producing arflow of air from saidv exhaustpassage through said refrigerating unit and outwardly through theopenings in said unit, and air: guiding means for directingv air fromsaid plenum chambers into saidiuppercompartment atadevel substantiallylower than the top of saidupper compartment, and; substantially higherthan said partition, said exhaust passage having an intake openinglocated lower than the top 01:" said. upper compartment andsubstantially higherthan-said;partition.

' 3.111 arefrigerated display case, the combie nationof .front, rearand-side walls, upper and lower compartments bounded by said walls, saidfront and. rear walls extending lengthwise of the display case, a coldair passage extending upwardly: from said lower compartment to saidupper compartment and. terminating in a discharge endspaced in asubstantial amount above the'bottom of said upper compartment, an airexhaust passage extending downwardly from said upper;:compartment tosaid lower compartment, saidpassagesbeing respectively adjacent to andcoextensive with said-front andrear walls, a refrigerating unit disposedin said lower compartmerit haying cold air discharge openingsrespectively communicating with said coldair passage and with1 theinterior of said lower compartment, said-refrigerating unit being shortin comparisonwith thelength of the upper compartment, air,.-circulatingmeans for producing a flow of air fromsaid'exhaust passage through saidrefrigeratingunit and outwardly through the openings insaidunit, and abaifle arrangement at the discharge end of said cold air passageaffording, a plenum chamber, through which the cold air is conductedfrom said passage into said upper compartment, said plenum chamberextending substantially the entire length of said upper compartment andserving to equalize the distribution ohincoming cold air, said exhaust.passage. having an intake: opening disposed on approximately the samelevelas saidv plenum chamber and having. no-other intake openings insaid upper compartmerit.

V 4. In arefrigerateddisplaycase, the combina-. tion of front, rear andside walls, upper and lower compartments bounded by said walls, a coldair passage extending upwardly from said lower compartment to said'uppercompartment adjacent said rear wall, an air exhaustpassage extendingdownwardly from said upper compartment to,

said lower compartment adjacent saidfront wall, arrefrigerating unitdisposed in said lower compartment having cold air dischargeopeningsrespectively communicating with said cold air passage and withthe interior of said lower compartment, partitions to prevent thepassage of air from said refrigerating unit directly intosaid lower;compartment except through said discharge" openings; saidrefrigeratingunit being short in comparisonwiththe length of the upper compartment,air circulatingmeans for-producinga' fiow-ofair from said exhaustpassage means defining, an :air-

in' said 1, upper Y comparte ment to aiiord a seriesof plenumchambersinter,- posedbetween the coldair passage andsaid upper,- of said, plenumchambers ex- 8- through: .saidi refri era wardly through saidlair;discharge openings there in, and'abafiie arrangementgatthe discharge,end; affordinga plenum chain 1 berxthrough which the cold air isconducted from saidpassagerinto saidtupper compartment, said of saidcoldair passage plenum chamber extending substantially-the entire lengthofsaid ,uppencompartment' and sew-- ing toeequalize. the distribution ofincoming; coldair;

5..In a refrigerated-display case of" elongatedconfiguration having:arsopentop upper display ing short in comparison with the length of the?display case, means defining a cold air passage; extending upwardlyadjacent said rear-wall I and; communicating with said refrigeratingunit, said cold air passage being substantially coextensive with saidrear wall-above said'lower'compart' ment, perforated baflie platesarranged to afford a series of plenum chambers interposed between saidcold air passage and said upper compartment, said plenum chambersextending substan-- tially the entire length of the display'casewandserving to'equalize-the distribution of cold" air entering said uppercompartment; a member extending forwardly from said rear wall,rone ofsaid baffle plates being arranged diagonally to cooper ate with saidmember for directing the incoming cold air downwardly atan angle intosaiduppcr compartment at a level'lower than thetops of said wallsandsubstantiallyhigher than the bottom of said upper compartment, meansdefining an exhaust passage having'an intake opening dis-- posed a.substantial'distance above the bottom of said upper compartment, saidexhaust passage extending downwardly adjacent saidfront wall andcommunicating with said lower compartmerit, and air circulating meansforproducing a flow of air from said exhaust passage-throughsaid-refrigerating unit" and said cold air passage into the uppercompartment;

6. In a refrigerated display case having an upper open topdisplaycompartment and a lower enclosed storage compartment, verticalwalls bounding both said compartments, a refrigerat ingunit disposed atsaid lower compartmentadjacent a first wall ofthe display case;meansdefining a cold air 1 passage extending upwardly of saidrefrigeratingunit-adjacentsaid first wall; said refrigeratingunit'having cold air discharge openings communicating respectively withsaid cold airpassage andwith the interior-of saidt lowercompartment andhaving-a length substantially less than the length of 'the display case,means defining an air exh'austlpassage extendingfrom said uppercompartment to said lower compartment adjacent a second of said walls,the space in said upper compartment between said cold air passageandsai'd'exhaust passage being. adapted for holding food on display, aircirculat ing-means for forcing ,a circulation of air from said lowercompartment throughv said refrigerating unit, bafil'e members, arrangedat the discharge end of said coldjairpassagetoafforda plenum chamberextending substantially the en"- members being effectiveto-direct-ai-r'fromsaid and, thence: out

display case, a-refrigeratplenum chamber downwardly at a slant into saidupper compartment substantially below the top of the display case.

7. In a refrigerated display case having an open top upper compartmentand an enclosed lower-compartment, the combination of means defining acold air passageextending vertically from the lower compartment to theupper compartment, a refrigerating unit arranged in said lowercompartment, air circulating means associated with said refrigeratingunit to discharge refrigerated air under pressure from said unit intosaid cold air passage, said refrigerating unit being short in comparisonwith the length of the upper compartment, and a plurality of bafflemembers arranged to afiord a series of plenum chambers extendingsubstantially the entire length of the upper compartment andcommunicating with said cold air passage for equalizing the pressure ofthe incoming cold air, said bafile members including a perforated platearranged diagonally for directing the cold air from the final plenumchamber downwardly at an angle toward articles contained in the uppercompartment.

8. In a refrigerated display case having partitions dividing the caseinto upper and lower compartments and a vertically extending cold airpassage through which said compartments communicate with each other, arefrigerating unit adapted to be disposed in the lower compartment ofthe case for cooling both said compartments, said unit comprising amovable frame having a vertical wall adapted to extend for a substantialpart of the distance between the top and bottom of the lowercompartment, said frame being adapted for attachment to a wall of saidcold air passage and having an opening in its top for communication withthe cold air passage, refrigerating means carried by said frame, and anair circulating fan mounted on said frame below said refrigerating meansfor drawing in air from the lower compartment of the case and directingthe air past the refrigerating means, said frame wall having aperturestherein above said refrigerating means whereby a portion of therefrigerated air is discharged directly into the lower compartment, theremainder of the refrigerated air passing into the cold air passage.

9. In a refrigerated display case having partitions dividing the caseinto upper and lower compartments and a vertically extending cold airpassage through which said compartments communicate with each other, arefrigerating unit adapted to be disposed in the lower compartment ofthe case for cooling both said compartments, said unit comprising aframe having a vertical wall adapted to extend for a substantial part ofthe distance between the top and bottom of the lower compartment, saidframe having an opening in its top for communication with the cold airpassage, refrigerating means carried by said unit, an air circulatingdevice disposed in said unit below said refrigerating means fordirecting air to be cooled upwardly through said refrigerating means,said wall having louvers therein above said refrigerating means, and anadjustable partition in the upper portion of said unit movable towardand away from said vertical wall to divide the refrigerated air streamselectively between the two compartments.

10. A refrigerator display case comprising an open-top displaycompartment having front, rear and side walls, means defining a cold airpassage extending upwardly adjacent said rear wall, bafile membersdefining a series of plenum chambers communicating with said cold airpassage, air guiding means including certain of said bafie membersfordirecting air from the final one of said plenum chambers into saiddisplay compartment at a level substantially higher than the bottom ofsaid compartment, said plenum chambers extending substantially theentire length of said compartment,- means defining an air exhaustpassage extending down,- wardly adjacent the front wall and having anintake opening substantially higher than the bottom of said displaycompartment, refrigerating means, and air circulating -means forproducing a flow of air from said exhaust pas.- sage through saidrefrigerating means and thence through said cold air passage into thedisplay compartment.

11. In a refrigerated display case having partitions dividing the caseinto upper and lower compartments and a vertically extending cold airpassage through which said compartments communicate with each other, arefrigerating unit adapted to be disposed in the lower compartment ofthe case for cooling both said compartments, said unit comprising aframe having a vertical wall adapted to extend for a substantial part ofthe distance between the top and bottom of the lower compartment, saidframe having an opening in its top for communication with the cold airpassage, refrigerating means carried by said unit, and an aircirculating fan mounted in said unit below said refrigerating means fordrawing in air from the lower compartment of the case and directing theair past the refrigerating means, said wall having apertures thereinabove said refrigerating means and vanes disposed in association withsaid apertures, whereby a portion of the refrigerated air is dischargeddirectly into the lower compartment toward the ends thereof and theremainder of the refrigerated air passes into the cold air passage.

12. In a refrigerated display case having partitions dividing the caseinto upper and lower compartments and a vertically extending cold airpassage through which said compartments communicate with each other, arefrigerating unit adapted to be disposed in the lower compartment ofthe case for cooling both said compartments, said refrigerating unitincluding a housing having an intake opening and an outlet openingcommunicating with the cold air passage, refrigerating means within saidhousing intermediate said openings, and an air circulating fan mountedon said housing for circulating air from said intake opening throughsaid housing and over said refrigerating means and outthrough saidoutlet opening, said inlet opening communicating with the lowercompartment of the case and receiving air therefrom, said housingincluding air distributing means at said outlet opening thereof fordischarging a portion of the refrigerated air directly into the lowercompartment, and for discharging the remainder of the refrigerated airinto the cold air passage.

13. In a refrigerated display case having partitions dividing the caseinto upper and lower compartments and a vertical cold air passagethrough which said compartments communicate with each other, arefrigerating unit adapted to be disposed in the lower compartment ofthe case for cooling both said compartments, said refrigerating unitincluding a housing having intake and outlet openings, refrigeratingmeans thereof for discharging 11 within said housing intermediate saidopenings, andan air circulating fan mounted on said housing forcirculating air through said intake opening into said housing from thelower compartment of the case, and directing the air-past saidrefrigerating means and out through said outlet opening, said housingincluding adjustable air distributing means at said outlet opening aportion of the refrigerated air directly into the lower compartment,andfordischarging the remainder ofthe refrigerated air through the coldair passage and into the upper compartment, with the adjustment of saidair distributing means controlling the relative quantities 'of airsupplied to the two compartments. ALFRED J. KOPP.

JOHN R. BOYLE.

LREFERENCES ..CITED "The following references are oi'recor'd in the file:of "this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bales Jan. 5, 1937 Jones Nov. '1,1938 Starr Mar. 28, 1939 Sipp Apr. 22, 1941 Hermann June 3, 1941Lambrecht Nov. 11, 1941 Caulk Oct. '13, .1942 .Shreve Oct. 19, 11943Brinkoeter May 27, 1947 MacMaster Aug. 24, 1948 MacMaster Aug.'24, 1948Hardin Mar. 8, 1949 Stultz Apr. 15,1949 .MacMaster Jan. 10, 1950 RaskinJune 13,1950

